Does anyone have any experience of StartSmart Education Consulting now recruiting for teachers to work 4-5 month contracts in the Thai public school system? Or indeed any experience of similar recruiting firms?

Does anyone have any experience of StartSmart Education Consulting now recruiting for teachers to work 4-5 month contracts in the Thai public school system? Or indeed any experience of similar recruiting firms?

Is it what they say on the tin? Booby traps?

Thanks

4-5 months means NO visa and NO work permit.

No employer jumps through the hoops and pays the fees for 1-term white faces.

Does anyone have any experience of StartSmart Education Consulting now recruiting for teachers to work 4-5 month contracts in the Thai public school system? Or indeed any experience of similar recruiting firms?

Is it what they say on the tin? Booby traps?

Thanks

4-5 months means NO visa and NO work permit.

No employer jumps through the hoops and pays the fees for 1-term white faces.

.

Well, there are a number of recruiters (On The Mark Edu/Open Book Teachers/Premier TEFL/etc) advertising the same deal now on this site and others MOD EDIT

Are you saying they are all liars? If so, what happens (has happened) to the dupes they bring over on tourist visas, never to be properly legalised? At what point did the Thai public school system OK turning a blind eye to endemic visa irregularities?

Well, there are a number of recruiters (On The Mark Edu/Open Book Teachers/Premier TEFL/etc) advertising the same deal now on this site and others (TEFL.com/ajarn.com).

Are you saying they are all liars? If so, what happens (has happened) to the dupes they bring over on tourist visas, never to be properly legalised? At what point did the Thai public school system OK turning a blind eye to endemic visa irregularities?

Liars... probably.

Most irregular teachers who are only here for 1 term usually end up doing 1 or 2 runs to get new tourist visas (good for 60 days plus 30 day extension).

30 day entry + 90 days on a TR visa gets you your 4 months. Add a quick border run for 30 more and then off to the next country OR 2 back to back Tourist visas will get you up to 6 months (60 days + 30 and repeat).

Recruiters and agencies in Thailand usually mean getting screwed and losing 1/3 of your salary to the agency.

The system has been putting up with people doing border runs, visa runs and working illegally for decades. There are probably as many long stay, illegal, part-time teachers who are enrolled in a Thai language course to get the EDU visa as there are legal teachers with proper non-B and work-permits.

If you want to work here and you are a native speaker with a degree then arrive here just after Songkran (late April) with your documents in hand and be ready to sign a 2 semester (or 1 year) contract with a school (rather than some dodgy agency). Finding work should be as difficult as finding a prostitute in Pattaya.

These will usually come with a non-B, work permit and visa extension to fulfill the contract after you get your W/P as well as your provisional teacher's permit and your salary paid during your vacation breaks.

If you do not have a degree then take what you can find since legal work is not an option.

Well, there are a number of recruiters (On The Mark Edu/Open Book Teachers/Premier TEFL/etc) advertising the same deal now on this site and others (TEFL.com/ajarn.com).

Are you saying they are all liars? If so, what happens (has happened) to the dupes they bring over on tourist visas, never to be properly legalised? At what point did the Thai public school system OK turning a blind eye to endemic visa irregularities?

Liars... probably.

Most irregular teachers who are only here for 1 term usually end up doing 1 or 2 runs to get new tourist visas (good for 60 days plus 30 day extension).

30 day entry + 90 days on a TR visa gets you your 4 months. Add a quick border run for 30 more and then off to the next country OR 2 back to back Tourist visas will get you up to 6 months (60 days + 30 and repeat).

Recruiters and agencies in Thailand usually mean getting screwed and losing 1/3 of your salary to the agency.

The system has been putting up with people doing border runs, visa runs and working illegally for decades. There are probably as many long stay, illegal, part-time teachers who are enrolled in a Thai language course to get the EDU visa as there are legal teachers with proper non-B and work-permits.

If you want to work here and you are a native speaker with a degree then arrive here just after Songkran (late April) with your documents in hand and be ready to sign a 2 semester (or 1 year) contract with a school (rather than some dodgy agency). Finding work should be as difficult as finding a prostitute in Pattaya.

These will usually come with a non-B, work permit and visa extension to fulfill the contract after you get your W/P as well as your provisional teacher's permit and your salary paid during your vacation breaks.

If you do not have a degree then take what you can find since legal work is not an option.

.

Y'know, it seems what they're most interested in is do I have a nice clean white shirt and the right shoes? Nevermind if I'm legal. Actually, I am over qualified and just want a filler till September, so I guess I'll just have to roll with it.